The MEC (master executive counsel) or your EXCO. I heard about your EXCO going to court for stealing funds, but didn't know about the financial problems.

Pilots should be dealing with pilots and hammer out a fair deal. If the new Republic is going to be worth working at Republic, Midwest and Frontier pilots have to...

1. Merge everyone on one seniority list
2. Review scope language for any loop holes
3. Integrate in a fair way so the working enviroment will be good.
NO ONE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO GAIN ANYTHING IN THE FIRST YEAR
4. Improve the pay for the E190 and for FOs (the top FO pay is criminal)
5. Improve retirement funding
6. Keep the unions and attorneys out of it

 

Virtual scabs?!? Give me a freakin break. So YOU decide where the "virtual picket line" is formed?

Not sure what the pilot group at Republic is doing wrong? Showing up for work? So you don't agree with what has happened to Midwest and Frontier. Guess your choice is now to insult the pilot group. Great work. Keep mud slinging. That always helps the other side of a topic see your side of it. Guess you took that Dale Carnegie class huh.

 

[/Quote]Why isn't Teamsters national or what ever it is above the Local supporting you? Even ALPA is providing financial support for the YX pilots and they are getting less and less from us as far as dues go. (soon to be none)
If this is what we have to look forward to, maybe it's time for a new union.[/QUOTE]

The ousting of our former Local President was the first indication that Teamsters Int'l actual does support us. Currently, there are legal issues being sorted out, but one of the big things currently being tackled by our trustees is exactly what you mentioned...getting Teamsters Int'l to help us out of our situation. I don't know where that issue stands at the moment, but our trustees were talking about a dues increase to offset the losses and to finance all the flight loss pay for our exceptionally busy EXCO and negotiating committee. Those dues increases have not happened yet, so I am hopeful that funds from Int'l are actually on their way soon.

As for a new union...

There was much talk and grassroots effort going into a de-certification of Teamsters here at RAH. Other member airlines of Local 747 had done so recently, and the talk of losing our 2100-strong pilot group in addition to the other lost airlines is exactly what prompted the emergency trusteeship of the Local. The general mindset at RAH now is to give the new leadership a chance, and see if they produce results. So far, we have seen a lot of progress. If Teamsters continues to fail us, though, there is no lack of support for a new union. Add in ALPA YX'ers, and FAPA F9'ers, and you will see a huge backing for new representation if integration AND section 6 do not go well. I know everyone is crying for us to grow a pair... well right now we are. I know you can't see much of any change from the outside looking in, but things are happening internally. We have a lot of guys who were hired in the last two years who come from other 121 carriers, and are done taking crap from management AND from our representatives. If ever there was a time to support us, now would be it.

 

To call the RAH pilots "scabs" or "virtual scabs" is totally idiotic.

 

Good post. You are correct.

 

Our EXCO did not go to court for stealing funds, our Local 747 president did (cases are still ongoing). He, in some form or another, robbed (allegedly, for anyone who wants to get all legal on me) the funds that our EXCO is supported by. Our EXCO is comprised of line pilots who still fly regularly.

As for...
...point 1: our scope requires everyone to be merged. Bedford has threatened to sell greater than 50% of his control in F9 to avoid having to integrate, but we highly doubt he will give up control over such a large investment and potential profit source.
...point 2: so far, there has been no successful work-around regarding RAH scope language. As stated above, the only way to avoid integration is for Bedford to not own a controlling interest.
...point 3: I agree that no one should be making a tangible gain in the first year. Our negotiators are level headed guys, and I am sure F9 guys will walk away with some sort of fence protection, and a somewhat reasonable place on the combined seniority list. YX pilots will not likely get a fence, since they won't have aircraft to protect. Perhaps something will be worked out to put those guys into MKE first. As an aside, under the current RAH contract, a senior pilot can NOT displace a junior pilot out of seat/equipment/or base unless the company is shrinking or a base downsizes. So long as YX pilots get MKE right away, they won't be bumped out, no matter where they end up on the seniority list. Same would apply to F9'ers in the event no fence is set up.
...point 4: Of course we want to improve pay. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until a new contract is ratified, until a plane with more than 99 seats installed is added, or until F9 pilots operate under the RAH CBA (Airbus is greater than 99 seats...new payscale). RAH was a low tier regional when the last contract came out. We have a whole different future, and quite possibly a 90% NEW pilot group. The old ways won't continue.
...point 5: No idea where that will go. I really do hope better 401k matching is included in the new CBA. Pensions are obviously not going to be established nowadays.
...point 6: Trying to keep the lawyers out...we got rid of our Local 747 legal counsel when we got rid of our President (same guy, double dipping in Hoffa's cookie jar). As for keeping the unions out, unfortunately EVERYTHING has to be negotiated through them. That's the high price of the low life.

 

How will the TA that has already been negotiated between RAH and FAPA fit into the new Republic contract? Do you think Bedford will be pushing for you to simply ignore the Frontier acquisition and let him and F9 live in their own world?

 

Anything less than or equal to AirTran's current DC fund is a failure. I would hope that anything less than a percentage point or two above theirs wouldn't even make it past the NC. Why the defeatist attitude?

 

there is no TA, this is a myth

 

Any TA between RAH management and FAPA pilots is strictly between them. Until there is a seniority integration, F9 pilots are entitled to represent themselves and negotiate a CBA as needed, independent from Teamsters and RAH pilots.

F9 pilots will operate under their separate CBA until both the RAH and F9 pilots are integrated AND RAH/Teamsters negotiate a new or revised CBA that has provisions for F9 pilots and their equipment. Likely, F9 pilots will operate under a separate CBA for at least a year.

Bedford has stated he wants to keep F9 pilots separate from RAH pilots. Whether this was lip service to soothe the fears of F9 pilots, or his actual desire remains to be seen. However, RAH scope (which has not been defeated yet) requires the F9 pilots to be integrated since Bedford acquired more than 50% of Frontier. Even if he sold half now, the process has been set in motion. I expect Bedford will continue to keep us separated as long as he can for whipsaw purposes, and will try to throw enticements our way. However, defense of scope in paramount, and we have yet to cede scope at this company. I expect that the pilot groups will be combined eventually, despite the best efforts of management.